JUPITER AND THE ASTEROID BELT

If the Solar System had evolved slightly differently, life on Earth might not exist

1 Disrupted asteroid belt If Jupiter’s inward migration had continued all the way through the asteroid belt, it would have disrupted Earth’s development so much that it would probably have prevented the emergence of life here. 2 Solar System asteroid belt This shows what actually happened in the Solar System. Although Jupiter did migrate inwards, it stopped outside the main asteroid belt. This allowed the planets further in – Mars, Earth and Venus – to remain stable and undisrupted. 3 Dense asteroid Belt If Jupiter hadn’t migrated inwards at all, far more asteroids would have survived to form a much denser belt. Constant bombardment of the inner planets by these asteroids would probably have prevented life from evolving.…

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All About Space Annual (Digital) - 1 Issue, All About Space Annual (2024)

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